Dual burial vault structure



Feb. 11, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 25, 1956 Feb. 11, 1958 w. M.CHANDLER ETAL 2,822, 85

DUAL BURIAL VAULT STRUCTURE Filed Nov. 23, 1956 i 2 Sheets-Sheet 2ilnited States Patent DUAL BURIAL VAULT STRUCTURE Wesley Miles Chandler,St. Paul, Minn., and Richard G. Reichle, Riverside, Ill., assignors toWilbert W. Haase Co., Broadview, 111., a corporation of IllinoisApplication November 23, 1956, Serial No. 623,962

1 Claim. (Cl. 72-7) This invention relates to a multiple burial vaultstructure.

An object of the present invention is to provide a new and improvedmultiple burial vault structure having certain of the desirablestructural features and characteristics of conventional concrete asphaltburial vaults together with certain of the desirable structural featuresand characteristics of the so-called air-seal type of burial vault.

A further object of the invention is to provide a new and improvedmultiple or double tier burial vault unit which is so constructed andarranged that both burial vault units may be installed in the graveopening at the time the grave is opened and thereafter a first intermentmade and the lower burial vault unit sealed, and a second interment madein the upper burial vault unit without interfering with the seal of thelower burial vault unit.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improvedmultiple burial vault structure which includes a novel member whichprovides a base for the upper burial vault unit, and a cover for thelower burial vault unit, and which also provides a structuralreinforcing supporting member for the side walls and the end walls ofboth the upper and lower burial vault units of the new multiple burialvault structure.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view illustrating a preferredconstruction of the new multiple burial vault struc' ture;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional detail view of the sealing constructionwhich is embodied in the new multiple burial vault structure; and

Fig. 3 is a central vertical longitudinal sectional view on line 3-3 inFig. 1.

A preferred embodiment of the new multiple burial vault structure isillustrated in the drawings, wherein it is generally indicated at 10,and includes an upper burial vault unit 11 and a lower burial vault unit12.

The upper burial vault unit 11 includes a dome-shaped member 13 whichincludes an outer concrete shell 14 and an inner core 15 formed of hardasphalt and which is integrally bonded to the outer concrete shell 14.The lower burial vault unit 12 includes a box-like portion 16 whichincludes an outer concrete shell 17 and an inner hard asphalt core 18integrally bonded thereto, as described above in connection with theupper burial vault unit 11. The lower burial vault unit 12 includes sidewalls 19, end walls 20, and a bottom wall 21, all of which are similarin construction, and the upper burial vault unit 11 includes side walls22 and end walls 23, which are likewise similar in construction.

As shown in the drawings, the dome-shaped member 13 of the upper burialvault 11 is open at the bottom thereof and the hard asphalt inner wall15 extends downwardly to the lower ends of the outer concrete portions14 of the side walls 22 and to the lower end portions of the concreteouter portions of the end walls 23 of the upper burial vault unit 11.

2,822,685 Patented Feb. 11, 1958 The concrete outer wall portions 14 ofthe lower burial vault unit 12 terminate at their upper edges ingenerally V-shaped tongue portions 25 and these V-shaped tongue portions25 are adapted to project into correspondingly shaped grooves 36 whichare formed in marginal flanges 27 which are formed integrally with andas a part of a combination base and cover and structural reinforcingmember 28 which forms the base or bottom wall of the upper dome-shapedburial vault unit 11 and the cover member for the lower burial vaultunit 12. This combination base and cover and structural reinforcingmember 28 embodies a rectangular-shaped raised center portion 29, whichis disposed within the confines of the marginal flanges 27, and iscomposed of a concrete upper wall 30 and a hard asphalt lower wall 31integrally bonded thereto, as described above in connection with thewalls 14 and 15 ofthe upper burial vault unit 11.

As shown in the drawings, and as best shown in Fig. 2, the asphalt innerwall 18 of the lower burial vault unit 12 extends upwardly to the innersides of the top edges of the tongue 25 and is tapered graduallyupwardly, diminishing in thickness to the point 37, and the inner orlower asphalt wall 31 of the upper burial vault unit 11 extends upwardlyalong the inner edges of the grooves 36 and then extends horizontallyacross the grooves 36 to the outer and upper corners 26 of the grooves36.

Suitable combination casket rests and lifting clevises 32 are anchoredin the bottom wall 21 of the lower burial vault unit 12 and similarcombination casket rests and lifting clevises 35 are anchored in theraised center portion 29 of the combination base and cover andstructural reinforcing member 28.

In the use of the new multiple burial vault structure 10 both the upperburial vault unit 11 and the lower burial vault unit 12 may beplaced ina grave opening when the grave is opened with the member 28 resting onthe upwardly projecting tongue 25 of the lower burial vault unit .12 andthe dome-shaped cover member 13 resting on the marginal flange 27 of themember 28. Accordingly, at the first interment, the members 13 and 28may be removed from the lower burial vault unit 12 and a casket may berested on the combination casket rests and clevises 32 of the lowerburial vault unit 12. A suitable soft asphaltic sealing composition 33may then be placed in the V-shaped grooves 36 in the combination baseand cover and structural reinforcing member 28 so as to substantiallyfill the grooves 36. At the same time the soft asphalitic sealingcomposition softens and fuses into the hard asphalt extensions of theasphalt walls 18 and 31 of the lower burial vault unit 12 and of themember 18, respectively.

The member 28 may then be placed in sealing position upon the box-likeportion of the lower burial vault unit 12 with the V-shaped tongues 25engaging in the grooves 36 whereupon the softened hard asphalt surfacesformed as extensions of the walls 18 and 31 and the sealing composition33 provide a heremetic air and water seal between the combination baseand cover and structural reinforcing member 28 and the box-like portionof the lower burial vault unit 12.

It will be noted, in this connection, that the weight of the member 28forces a part of the sealing composition 33 downwardly into the outerportion of each of the grooves 36, as shown in Fig. 2, while, at thesame time, a part of each mass of sealing composition 33 fuses into thehard asphalt wall portions formed as extensions of the hard asphaltwalls 31 and 18, as pointed out above.

The next and second interment may be made in the upper burial vault unit11 without aifecting the seal of the lower burial vault 12 by removingthe dome-shaped cover member 13 and resting the casket on the combination clevises and caket rest 35, whereupon an asphaltic sealingcomposition 34 may be placed upon the upper surfaces of the horizontalflange portions 27 of the com bination base and cover and structuralreinforcing member 28.. The dome-shaped upper portion 13 of theupperburial vault unit 11 may then be inserted into position of seal of thelower burial vault unit 12.

It will also be noted that the new multiple burial vault ,unit embodiescertain of the desirable advantages and characteristics ofasphalt-concrete burial vaults, as embodied in the lower burial vaultunit 12, including. the

"up erburiarvault unit'includin'g a dome-shaped'memtongue and groove andasphalt seal 2633, and associated parts, while, at the same time,embodying certain of the desirable'advantages and characteristics ofso-called air seal burial vaults, in the upper burial vault unit 12,including the elevated position of the casket when rested on thecombination casket rests and clevises 35 which are anchored in theraised center portion of the combination base and cover and structuralreinforcing member 28 and which thus protects the casket in the upperburial vault 12 against possible damage by a relatively higher andrising ground water level than is possible in the use of conventionalconcrete burial vaults.

It will also be noted that in the new multiple burial vault structurethe combination base and cover and structural reinforcing member 28provides structural support and reinforcement for the side walls 22 andend walls 19 and end walls 20 of the lower burial vault unit 12 at thevertical center or mid-portion of the assembled vault structure. Thisvertical center structural reinforcement of the side and end walls ofboth the upper and lower burial vault units is particularly important inview .of the fact that the side walls and end walls of the assembledvault structure are relatively high in the assembled vault structure andthe center reinforcement is essential to prevent inward collapsing ofthe side and end walls of the assembled vault structure.

It will thus be seen from the foregoing description, considered inconjunction with the accompanying drawings, that the present inventionprovides a new and improved multiple burial vault structure having thedesirable advantages and characteristics and accomplishing its intendedobjects, including those hereinbefore pointed out, and others which areinherent in the invention.

We claim:

A dual burial vault structure comprising a lower burial vault unit andan upper burial vault unit, said lower burial vault unit including abox-shaped portion having an open top and composed of an outer concreteshell her having an open bottom and composed of an outer concrete shelland an inner asphalt layer integrally bonded thereto, said upper andlower burial vault units being disposed with the open portions thereofin opposed relationship, a combination base" and cover and structuralreinforcing member seated upon the upper surfaces of the walls of'saidlower burial vault unit and providing a cover therefor, said combinationbase and cover and structural reinforcing member being composed of anupper concrete wall and a lower asphalt layer integrally bonded theretoand said upper concrete wall including a generally'rectangular-shapedraised center portion having a marginal flange formed integrallytherewith and disposed therebelow and extending therearound, the bottomof said flange and the upper surface of the walls of the lower burialvault unit having a tongue and groove interlocking engagement so as toresist inward movement of such walls at the open top of the lower burialvault unit, said flange having a flat upper surface, the lower endportions of the side and end walls of the said domeshaped member restingupon said upper surface of the marginal flange with said raised centerportion projecting up into the open lower end of said upper burial vaultunit and providing a base therefor, said. raised center portion being ofslightly less width and length at its juncture with said flat uppersurface of the marginal flange than the inside dimensions between theinner surfaces of the side and end walls of the upper unit so as topositively position the same and resist inward movement thereof at theopen bottom of the upper burial vault unit, layer means hermeticallysealing the said upper end portions of the side and end Walls of saidlower burial vault unit to the lower surface of said marginal flange ofthe reinforcing member, and layer means hermetically sealing the lowerend portions of the side and end walls of the upper burial vault unit tothe upper surface of said marginal flange, said combination base andcover and structural reinforcing member providing a structuralreinforcement for the side and end walls of the upper and lower burialvault units as the upper and lower burial vault units and reinforcingmember are disposed in assembled relationship.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,691,568 Gorman Nov. 1a, 1928 1,839,149 Haase Dec. 29, 1931 2,162,435Hopkins June 13, 1939 2,167,091 Simpson July 25, 1939 2,616,146 HaaseNov. 4, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 213,660 Great Britain of 1924

